Showerhead



0. MANNING Jan. 17, 1961 05am MANN/lye,

Y INVENTOR.

- ATITORNEK header.

made on an automatic screw machine and the header can United StatesPatent SHOWERHEAD Oscar Manning, 13524 Hartland Sh, Van Nuys, Calif.

Filed Feb. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 794,598

Claims. (Cl. 239-460) will give satisfactory results' but it is alsonecessary to provide a construction which is simple to make andassemble. m

An object of the present invention is to-improve and simplify theconstruction and assembly of the shower,

head with regard to the following features: (a') the rotary seal andmount for the stem of the handle, (b) the construction and support forthe port plate and (c) the construction and assembly of the plugs withreference -to their header.

' -In brief,'these objects are accomplished as follows.

With reference to item '(a), the assembly and seal for 'the stem of thehandle are improved by providing 'a' 'ring seal which is mounted on andcarried'by the stem itself with a removable key in the form of a lockpin insertable on the inner end of the stern inside of the valve casingto hold the stem of the handle in rotary position against a shoulder inthe casing.

With regard to item (b), a more satisfactory and simpler support for theport plate is provided by avoiding the need for screw threads at theperiphery of this plate through the use of a central bolt mounted at oneend in the port plate and at its opposite end in the casing. Accordingto a further feature, this bolt serves the function of holding the portplate in sealing relation with the casing, and/or serving as a slidesupport for a stem extension of the Costs are reduced as this stemextension can be be a metal stamping, these two parts being clamped,riveted or otherwise fastened together. In a modification, the metal isstruck up around the ports to provide a cylindrical seat for each plugvalve. 7

With reference to item (0), the use of a header for the plugs whereinthe slots in the header are open at their outer ends as in Patent2,534,549 has the disadvantage that there is nothing to prevent theplugs from falling out of the header during assembly, requiring thatcaution be employed in the assembly. The other two patents provide a pinfor each plug, with .a round hole for the upper end of the plugextension, which has the disadvantage of re quiring that the pins beindividually applied to the plugs. According to the present invention,these disadvantages are overcome 'by providing .a header wherein eachplug is provided with a key slot, a radially inner portion of each slotbeing enlarged to pass the key head, the radially outer portion of eachslot being narrower to prevent the plug from fallingout. The narrowportion of the slot is extended enough in a radial direction to allowthe plugs to adjust themselves in the ports in the port plate.

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For further details of the invention, reference may be made to thedrawings wherein Fig. 1 is a vertcial sectional view through the casingand associated parts of a shower head according to the presentinvention, some of the parts being shown in full lines. In Fig. 1, thehandle is in position with the showerhead substantially closed.

P Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is apartial sectional view like Fig. 1 showing the handle in anotherposition with the showerhead open.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 3 showing a planview of the key or lock pin on the stem of the handle.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the header.

1Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of port p ate.

While dimensions are a matter of choice, the drawing shows a casing 50%larger than a model which has been constructed and tested.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the showerhead 1 has the usual formof swivel coupling 2 so that the easing 3 can be tilted and locked inadjusted position by operating the sleeve 4. The coupling 2 has a fluidpassage 5 which is connected to a suitable source of fiuid pressure. Thepassage 5 communicates with the interior of casing 3 and fluid flowthrough the casing is controlled by handle 7 which operates a series ofplug valves indicated at 6, five thereof being shown.

The handle 7 has an integral stub shaft 8 having an annular groove 9 fora ring seal 10. Ring seal 10 seals against outward fluid flow throughthe bore 11 and also serves the. function of holding valve 7 in adjustedposition due to the leakage fluid pressure acting on this ring seal. Thecasing 3 is provided with a bearing bore 11 in which the shaft 8 and thering seal 10 rotatably fit.

The outer end of shaft 8 is enlarged as indicated at 49, providing aninwardly facing shoulder 12 which abuts outwardly facing shoulder 13 onthe casing. Shoulder 13 is provided by the counter bore or enlarged bore54 at the outer end of bore 11. Shoulders 12 and 13 are held inengagement with each other by an U shaped lock pin 14, see Figs. 1 and4, which serves as a key and fits in an annular groove 15 in shaft 8against the'inner face 16 of the wall 17 of the casing. The inner end ofshaft 8 has a crank pin 18 which fits in a circular groove 19 at theinner end of the stem 20 of the header. Rotation of handle 7 thusoperates crank pin 18 to raise and lower stem 20 and the plug valves 6carried thereby.

Stem 20 can be made on an automatic screw machine and its outer end hasa terminal portion 21 which passes through a circular aperture 22 in theheader 23. The terminal portion 21 at its outer end 24 is bent over andriveted to form a circular groove 25. Groove 25 is larger in a directionlengthwise of the axis of the casing than the thickness of header 23, torotatably support the header so that the plug valves indicated at 6adjust themselves to their respective ports like 26 in the port plate27. The stem 20 has a cylindrical bore 28 which slidingly fits on theshank 29 of a bolt 30.

According to the second item above described, the

port plate 27 has a smooth cylindrical periphery 31 free from screwthreads and it slidingly fits in the cylindrical socket 32 at the outerend of casing 3. Socket 32 at its inner end has a shoulder 33 for anannular seal 34 which fits between that shoulder and the inner side ofthe port plate 27. Port plate 27, in the form shown in Fig. 1. has acentral recess 35 in which fits the head 36 of bolt 30. Head 36 has akerf 37 for a screw driver or the like. The inner end of bolt 30 hasscrew threads 38 for mating threads in a web 39at the inlet end of thecasing 3. Web 39 has ports like 40 forming fluid passages leading to theinterior of the casing.

i e a lat a t a i bit-irate? end of said casingfsaid other Iendj ofjsaidlc of header 23, one such slot being'pr'ovidedfor each"s" ich 'plugvalve like 6 and each suchplu'gvalve havingan enlarged head 42,. see'Fig. 3 and a'shoulder 43 providing a groove 44 in which the rim of anyoneof the slots like r41 fits The radially inner portion ofeachislotf'asiridicated at 45 in 'Fig. 5, is enlarged sothat the head 42will pass through it, while the radially outer portion of each slot like46 is closed at its outer'end 47 andQnarrow enough to fitv within thegroove 44 sothat the heads like 42 will support the" plug valves inposition on 'the header. v.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, ther'nodified port plate 50 is ametalistamping having ,a 'eircular hole'51'for the shank 29 of bolt'30and havingports like 52 wherein a cylindrical seat 53 is provided foreach plug by stamping the cylindrical portion 53'from the body-of themetal blank from which the header'is stam ed, Fig. '6'fsh0'v'vs the formresulting from one stamping operationwith' all fivecylindricalseatslike'53 arising from the body or planeof the circularstamping. r v r As'shown in Fig. 5, interspersed with the slots '41, isan array of apertures indicated at 48, fivebeing shown, to prOVide'fiuidpassagesthrough the header.

a In Fig.3, thehandle'7. is'shown rotated tojfa position whereinlheera'nk'pin' 18 operates the. plug ,valves Gtdxclaims,

1 claimzwfl l l. A 'showerhead eornpris'inga liollo a. 77 a socket intovwhich said port iplate fits with', ree tili-riar non-rotary movement,said socket having ashould'er facing outwardly of the axis .of said'casing, 'a' seal between said shoulder and they inner side of saidportplate, said port plate having a central hole, a post fitting ,saidhole, said .post havinganouter end in supporting relation with said port plate, said post acting, to holdfsaid port plate ,inwsealingrelationwith saidlseial and said .socket, said post having aninner end'fixedto said casing, said port;pla te. having.a plurality of-ports,,plug valve members slidable in said .ports respectively, and means foroperating said plugrvalve members. 1

2. A showerhead according to claim- .of said port plate an d the,adjoining. wall of' said socket being smooth a nd freefrom screwthreads. T 3. A sh owerheadaccording to claiml, said post' comprising abolt having an outer end having a head and having an inner end havingthreads, said port plate having .a central counterbore receiving saidbolt and. forming an abutment for said head, saidinlet ,en d of,,.saidj'casifig ,having'a web having a threaded socket for'said boltthreads. 4. A showerhead according to claim 1, said operating meanscomprising a headerfor said plug valve members, said header, having asliding support on said post.

5. A showerhead according ,to claim 4, ,sa id hea dcr having key slotsfor headson said plug valve members respectively, said sliding supportcomprising a stem, in the form of a cylindricalmember having an axialbore slidably fitting said post, said stem havifig an outer end fixed tosaid header.

6. In a showerhead for plug valve members having an operating means,said operatnig means comprising a header for the plug valve members,said header having an array of key slots for the plug valve members,said 5 slots each having an enlarged radially inner portion and a narrowclosed radially "duter pbrtion, each of said plug valve members havingastemhead fitting through the radially inner slot portionan'd having astem neck slidably fitting the radially'outer closed "slot portion.

7. A showerhead comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet havinga "port plate and plug valves, a header for said valves, said,headerhaving an array of radial slots for said plug valves, a stemhaving one end fixed to said header, said stem having an axial bore,said stem having an opposite end having a recess, an operating handle,having a rotary bearing support in a side "wall of saidrcasing, said,handle having a crank pinf fitting ,said, recessfanda central post insaid casing, said post .havi ng'opposite ends mounted respectivelyinfaf'central opening in said port plateqand, 'fixedfto said casin saidaxial bore'oflsaid stern slidingly,fittingfsaid'post. v

c .1 8. .A, showerhead according to claimi7, said port plate having asmooth cylindrical periphery fitting acyliridrical socket in the outletend of said casing and'a'seal'in said socket betweensaid port plateandsaidcasin'g.

, 9 A showerh ad according .to'. claimf7,'said postcomprising a bolt,said bolt slidably fitting a central hole' in .aaid port plate, one. endof saidbclthavingahadjsupporting "said; port platelarid', arranged in arecess injs aid lpqttplats idca irighav' ng.,t e c h twssn' i iqt mb lruppbnta d said in ets ,ivvebihvin l port, and. a threaded, connectionbetween the'o'tlier end of saidbolt-and said lweb. 7

10. In a showerhad, a valve ,b insgb r duc, iamr e at its rearranginshoulder tacing outwardly .oif said casing, an; operating lmember having-a handle terminating infa laterally extending shaft, said shaft havingYarn outerjfportion 'pr'o jecting into said casing and anj inner portionrotatably ,fitting said bore, said ,outer portion having acircumferential groove having a ring seal said inner lshaftportion llotlargerd a eter, han sa outcrtsha po land terminating,at,its innerendin an outwardlyufac ing .shoulder. rotata ly; fitting s d fir t j mnt g d sho d r said outer shaft portion having an extensionfinwardly ofsaid casing ,beyondsaid side wall, said extension having ,aifciarik,said extension having a perpiheral groove and .alsubs tantially ,Ushaped,v 196k pin therein mounted on said extension and fitting againstthe inner face of said side, wall, for, holding said inner shaft portionof said operating member in position in said bearing bore with "saidshoulders fitting together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

